1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wired/wireless RFID tag and an electronic device equipped with the RFID tag.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, much attention has been paid to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag having a function of recording the identification codes and other necessary information of products and components; the RFID wirelessly transmits and receives the information to and from a management system. For example, the RFID tag may be attached to a toner bottle or the like used in a copying machine or a printer to record a usage state as well as an identification code, and the information is confirmed by wireless communication at the time of collections and inspections, so that maintenance work, for example, can be improved. However, wireless communication performed while the RFID tag is operated in a device may cause unnecessary radiation and conflict with the Radio Law in some cases.
There has been known a technology to use a RFID tag commonly in wired communication and wireless communication; the RFID tag is wire-controlled in a device whereas information is wirelessly transmitted to and received from a management system when an attachment part of the RFID tag is detached from the device. However, terminals and wiring are clearly isolated for the wired communication and the wireless communication in the conventional wired/wireless RFID tag of this kind, and the shape and miniaturization of the tag are restricted due to the terminals and wiring for the wired communication.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-148632 discloses an RFID tag in which wiring for the wired communication is drawn from a wireless antenna to be connected to a wired terminal, so that wired/wireless transmission and reception can be realized with a simple configuration. However, a signal for the wired communication between a apparatus main body and the RFID tag needs to be the same as an analog signal (RF signal) that is used for wireless communication, and a mechanism for converting the signal into an analog signal is required on the apparatus side. If a signal for the wired communication between the apparatus main body and the RFID tag is set to be a normal digital signal used on the apparatus side, a mechanism for converting a digital signal into an analog signal is required on the RFID tag side.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a wired/wireless RFID tag and an electronic device equipped with the RFID tag for which restrictions on the shape and miniaturization of the tag due to terminals and wiring for the wired communication can be eased.
There is also a need to provide a wired/wireless RFID tag and an electronic device equipped with the RFID tag with which a normal digital signal used in an apparatus can be used in the wired communication and an RF signal can be used in wireless communication.